MUNICH, 06-Apr-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — The international Eckart Witzigmann Award (ECKART) continues its journey around the world: In 2018, the renowned award for fine cuisine, the art of cookery and conscious enjoyment – named after “chef of the century” Eckart Witzigmann – will be presented in New York. In their sixth year of cooperation, the BMW Group and the Eckart Academy are continuing with further internationalisation of the award – this year paying tribute to outstanding services to ground-breaking gastronomy and nutrition on the American Continent.

“Our partnership with the Eckart Academy is based on the joint aim of creating an international platform for healthy eating, sustainable cuisine and responsible use of resources. We have looked at a lot of ambitious projects like this in the American restaurant scene for the ECKART 2018,” said Dr. Nicolas Peter, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Finance and patron of the ECKART. “We see the ECKART as a way of taking social responsibility and achieving a lasting impact through our involvement.”

This mission is reflected not least in the endowment established in 2017 for each of the award categories. All four award-winners in the categories “Art of Cookery”, “Innovation”, “Creative Responsibility” and “Art of Living”, in addition to one previous winner, propose a social or sustainable project of their choice to receive an endowment of € 50,000 from the BMW Group. The choice of projects is evaluated and approved by the ECKART jury and the BMW Group. The total endowment of €250,000 reflects the prestige and importance of the ECKART as a top international culinary award.

“We don’t just want to recognise our award-winners one time: We are ensuring that their outstanding ideas and commitment can be realised over many years,” explained Dr. Peter. “We are serious about the ECKART.”

“We have to do something,” added “chef of the century” Eckart Witzigmann. “I have always criticised that there is too much talk and not enough action. With the endowment from the BMW Group, we are able to support people and their ideas and ensure that things really change.”

Members of the jury committee include Eckart Witzigmann; Otto Geisel, head of the Eckart Academy; Dr. Nicolas Peter, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance; Dr. Friedrich Eichiner, former BMW Board of Management member and honorary member of the ECKART jury; as well as numerous restaurateurs and chefs from the ECKART network, including Uta Schlagenhauf and Hermann Bareiss of Hotel Bareiss, three-star chef Alain Ducasse and his sous-chef Matthias Hahn.

The BMW GroupWith its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2017, the BMW Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and more than 164,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.